Doing more Harm than Good?: Documentaries, Social Media and Advocacy in TJ

Fourth panel in the Innovative Media for Change in Transitional Justice conference, A Debate between Journalists, Academics and Practitioners on Transitional Justice, Media and Conflict held on 22-23 June 2015. We live in a time where new media technologies such as large data analysis, digital conflict mapping and mobile databases are more frequently used in reporting about volatile political and societal developments. Oftentimes these new media technologies facilitate public and first-hand knowledge about human rights violations on the ground and can enhance local media’s capacity to hold Transitional Justice (TJ) institutions and state authorities accountable. Not least, these new media technologies may also bring minorities’ and victims’ concerns and needs to the public domain. TJ has largely overlooked both the potential and the dangers of new media technologies alike to inform about ongoing transition contexts and to foster local accountability with regard to freedom of information and independent news coverage. New media technologies such as People’s Intelligence or Justiceinfo.net are likely to play an important role in fostering or hindering, promoting and informing about TJ processes. Questions at this panel will be centered on: how do these new media technologies work and what are their goals? Do they simply provide information or can they actually influence TJ policy-making? Can they play a role in conflict prevention by acting as early-warning mechanisms? What challenges do they face? Can we develop a set of guidelines on how these new media technologies can – without raising false expectations - best contribute to TJ? Panelists: Pierre Hazan – Director of Justiceinfo.net and Associate Professor at the Academy of Journalism and Media, University of Neuchatel, Christophe Billen – Founder of People’s Intelligence (PI), Analyst with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), The Hague, Leon Willems – Director of Free Press Unlimited, Amsterdam, Former Director of Press Now, Gilad Ben–Nun (Facilitator) – Research Fellow, Ernst Ludwig Foundation, University of Leipzig